rcle, upon La Valliere,
whose warm blush and restless emotion it instantly perceived.

The king advanced to the middle of the group, which had now become a
general one, by a movement which took place from the circumference to
the center. Every head bowed low before his majesty, the ladies bending
like frail, magnificent lilies before King Aquilo. There was nothing
very severe, we will even say, nothing very royal that evening about the
king, except youth and good looks. He wore an air of animated joyousness
and good-humor which set all imaginations at work, and, thereupon, all
present promised themselves a delightful evening, for no other reason
than from having remarked the desire his majesty had to amuse himself
in Madame's apartments. If there was any one in particular whose high
spirits and good-humor equalled the king's, it was M. de Saint-Aignan,
who was dressed in a rose-colored costume, with face and ribbons of the
same color, and, in addition, particularly rose-colored in his
ideas, for that evening M. de Saint-Aignan was prolific in jests. The
circumstance which had given a new expansion to the numerous ideas
germinating in his fertile brain was, that he had just perceived
that Mademoiselle de Tonnay-Charente was, like himself, dressed in
rose-color. We would not wish to say, however, that the wily courtier
had not know beforehand that the beautiful Athenais was to wear that
particular color; for he very well knew the art of unlocking the lips of
a dress-maker or a lady's maid as to her mistress's intentions. He
cast as many killing glances at Mademoiselle Athenais as he had bows
of ribbons on his stockings and doublet; in other words he discharged
a prodigious number. The king having paid Madame the customary
compliments, and Madame having requested him to be seated, the circle
was immediately formed. Louis inquired of Monsieur the particulars of
the day's bathing; and stated, looking at the ladies present while he
spoke, that certain poets were engaged turning into verse the enchanting
diversion of the baths of Vulaines, and that one of them particularly,
M. Loret, seemed to have been intrusted with the confidence of some
water-nymph, as he had in his verses recounted many circumstances that
were actually true--at which remark more than one lady present felt
herself bound to blush. The king at this moment took the opportunity of
looking round him at more leisure; Montalais was the only one who did
not blush